BENGALURU: The installation of steel barricades along the median of Whitefield Main Road, between the 4-km-long Hope Farm Junction and Varthur Kodi stretch, has irked residents. They say the move has made crossing the road difficult and the stretch is unfit for pedestrians.
Pedestrians and members of Whitefield Rising, a local civic group, say the barricades ignore pedestrian’s needs and promote private vehicle use. The stretch has not many dedicated signals for safe crossing alternatives, and with U-turns being closed, residents say the inconvenience has worsened.
“Whitefield Main Road has been a mess for a long time, with constant digging and incomplete pavements. Now, with permanent barricades on the median, people cannot cross easily,” said Shailaja, who has been living in the locality for over 15 years.
“Several U-turns, like the one near Prestige White Meadows, have been closed, pushing traffic into already congested junctions. With pavements unwalkable and crossings blocked, schoolchildren, senior citizens, and daily walkers are left stranded.”
Inish, who stays at Prestige White Meadows, where a U-turn was recently closed, said, “Earlier, I could walk to the church opposite my apartment in just two minutes. Now, I must walk nearly a kilometer to the Mayura Bakery or St Joseph’s signal, which takes 15 minutes, or drive and add to traffic. Authorities say this reduces accidents, but it only shifts the burden by cutting pedestrian access and reducing traffic personnel on duty.”
Residents say that the situation is difficult for senior citizens and schoolchildren. “There’s an 83-year-old woman in our community who goes to church regularly. With barricades everywhere, how is she expected to cross?” Inish asks.
However, a traffic official speaking on the concerns raised, said, “This is a high-density corridor. The installation of these barricades is meant to prevent fatal accidents and to ensure pedestrians cross only at designated areas and not anywhere between the roads where there is traffic and high-speed vehicles travel.”
However, residents insist that without proper signals, safe crossings, and continuous pavements, the barricades will force pedestrians to risk unsafe crossings or abandon walking altogether.